Nation wants Third Front to take shape, says Akhilesh Yadav

Lucknow: The ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh on Friday said that it will win over 39 seats in the politically crucial North Indian state in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. He also claimed that the Third Front will take shape after the elections as the ‘entire country wants it’.

"The performance of the party will be the best in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. We will win more than 39 seats. The Third Front will take shape after elections as the entire country wants it. Everyone knows economic policies of Congress and BJP are the same, so only option is Third Front," he said.

Uttar Pradesh has a total of 80 seats and the state plays a key role in the formation of government at the Centre.

In an interview to a local TV channel, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister also sought to scotch reports that political heavyweights in his family, including his father Mulayam Singh Yadav and uncles, were interfering in decision making of the state government.

The young chief minister said that there is ‘no interference’ and he takes his own decisions.

"I take advice of all seniors. There is no interference in running the government by anyone," Akhilesh said.

"The opposition has to say something. The decision of the government is taken by only one (me)," he clarified.

On the party’s election scenario in Varanasi, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said that the party has fielded its candidate and those who are secular are helping him.

"We are banking on our work and the people will surely support our candidate in Varanasi. I will also go there for campaigning," he said.

The ruling party in Uttar Pradesh has fielded Kailash Chaurasia from the holy city, from where the names of heavyweight leaders like Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal has already been announced.

On Muzaffarnagar communal riots, Akhilesh said that the incident was unfortunate and the state government did whatever was possible to control the situation.

"I stayed awake the entire night giving instructions to DGP and others to control the situation. As soon we got the news that situation could turn out of control in Muzaffarnagar city, we immediately took decision to call the Army," he said.

Blaming political parties, Akhilesh said that the incident was used by them for political purposes and it was blown out of proportion.

"Our government is committed to provide relief to the victims and over 51,000 people came at the camps," he said.